Ward Off energy application 2

Ward Off energy application 1

Analyzing ward-off energy here. The seed for this application came from Patrick Bast. He's a Master of Tomiki Aikido and Ryukyu Kempo Karate Jitsu. I saw him do a similar application a couple of years ago. This ward-off application came up in practice one day, and I said to myself this feels familiar. Check it out.

Rollback Press application 1

Laoshr Scott Rodell working with a student.

Yang style Tai Chi Chuan applicaitons for preparation and ward off

Yang style Tai Chi Chuan White Crane pressure point applications

Ouch Man... do that again!

October 2012 Dillman camp - joint locking flow drills

Yang style Tai Chi Chuan elbow strike application compared to Okinawan m...

Yang styel Tai Chi Chuan applications - Adjusting a move to the threat l...

Yang style Tai Chi Chuan - application for brush knee and okinawan low c...

Master Patrick Bast of MD Kyusho Concepts demonstrates an application for low counter(in his art, they don't use the term block). Then I compare his application to a Taijiquan application for brush knee and strike.

Dante (left), Master Wang Yen-nien and Kenny "Snake Man" Waigand outside of the Grand Hotel in Taipei Taiwan in '97 after sword practice.

Structure of the elbow strike in Yang style Tajiquan.

Tai Chi Chuan... the feel good art!

Cliff Cunningham experiencing turn to hold the ball movement from the Cheng Man-Ching form.

To understand the civil, we must know the martial.  How can you appreciate peace if you do not understand the potential for conflict?  How do you savor joy if you do not know pain?

Form demo vid #5

In 1997 Master Wang Yen-nien held a advanced training seminar in Taipei Taiwan.  My Tai Chi Chuan school sponsored me to go.  It was three and a half weeks of training eight hours a day in Tai Chi form, sword, fighting applications, and push hands.  Practice started at 6am and finished around 8:30pm.  This is Dante doing push hands with Luc Defago.  Luc is one of Master Wang's senior students from France.  Check out how sweaty Luc is.  I'm equally sweaty, but it just doesn't show up in the picture.  Taiwan is fairly humid.  That was an amazing experience.

Form corrections vid #4

Using bow posture for self-defense

Weight transition in beginning of Cheng Man-Ching form

Form corrections vid #3 - Roll Back

Form corrections vid #2 - stepping into bow stance

Form corrections vid #1

Yang Short Form Applications Vid # 3

Yang short applications #2.MP4

Taijiquan martial applications - explicit vs. implied

Martial applications – explicit and implied.

September 1, 2012 by Dante Gilmer

 

In the first part of the Cheng Man-Ching form aka the Yang short form, the martial applications are not explicit. The martial applications of the whole form may be ambiguous to the less experienced, but the first set of moves, called preparation, may be the most criptic part of the form, martially speaking.
If we look at a form, any form regardless of the art, we can analyze it better sometimes if we break it down into sectons or pieces. Sometimes a section may give a technique, a method of movement for interacting during a physical confrontation. If a technique is explicit i.e. block then punch, then we have a good starting point for analysis. If a technique is not explicit in section or piece of the form, we have to come up with a way of interpreting that piece. One possible way is to interpret form movements as if they are a message. For example the form may say ”draw your opponent in”or “control upper body and attack below”, or use this shape to neutralize an attack or the section may emphasze a principle or principles of your style through repetition of the same movement and so on.
But all forms do that all the time, right. Yes, but sometimes if we focus on blocks(althought Taiji doesn’t use the term block), kicks and punches, we may not hear the other parts of the message. I am not saying this is the best or only way of interpreting form, nor will it necessarily lead us to exactly what the masters of old were attempting to pass on. I’m saying it is one method of interpreting form, particularly where the martial function the form is not crystal clear.
So, if we look at the first part of the Cheng Man-Ching form as the video post #1 shows, we sink our weight onto one leg, then turn our waist. The feet wind up in a natural stance for our bodies and only then do we recruit our arms. We draw them in and then back and down, trying to keep the shoulders as relaxed as possible. Are the martial functions of those movements explicit. At first glance, they were not for me. But now the movements say to me, relax into your feet and establish a stable root or base, turn your waist to keep from letting an attack pile up on you, draw the opponent in and put him down. So now I can visualize the function of each part of the form, instead of having gaps in the martial flow of the form.
When I have an overview of possible martial functions of a previously vague section of the form, I can start to apply the other analytical tools used to break down martail arts forms. For example, put the movements in a context such as someone is shoving me or trying to grab me by the lapels. Is it a response to high attack or low attack? How do distance and timing change the use of the moves? Am I free to kick or is it only using the upper body? Does the movement have a range of responses form controlling to lethal? And so on.
Please check out application video #1 if you haven’t already. Please share you comments.

Yang short form applications #1

Is Tai Chi a health exercise or a martial art?

Yes!  It is!

It is easy enough to search the internet and find a long list of the health advantages of practicing Tai Chi.

The list includes, but is not limited to:

Reducing falls in older people

Reducing stress

Relaxation

Improving balance and coordination

Reducing depression

Improving bone density

Relieving constipation

Improving concentration and awareness

Learning to feel and circulate your chi

Wow!  Those benefits alone are enough to look for your closest Tai Chi class and join up.

These are benefits that have been gleaned from numerous studies of Tai Chi over the last couple of decades.  These aspects of Tai Chi are also what get the most publicity when Tai Chi is played up in advertising or the media.

So I see why anyone who is not familiar with the history of Tai Chi would think that it is solely a health exercise and how that will also draw people to Tai Chi to pursue its health benefits.  Also, because Tai Chi is generally performed slowly, it was deemed good exercise for older adults and thus the benefits listed above will be more easily recognizable in that group.  In contrast, younger people tend to be drawn to more energetic arts like karate and Tae Kwon Do.

But if Tai Chi was getting publicity for holding challenge matches or knock-down drag-out tournaments, then it would draw a different crowd, a la Brazilian Jiujitsu.

Many who have heard of Tai Chi or who want to study Tai Chi may not be familiar with some of the history of Tai Chi.  First, Tai Chi is a shortened name for the art of Tai Chi Chuan.  Chuan means fist, Supreme Ultimate Fist being one translation of the name.

Also, Yang Lu Chan, who is the creator of Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan, was nicknamed Yang Wudi which means Yang No Rivals, because he was unbeaten in challenge matches with other martial artists.  He became so famous for his fighting skill that he was summoned to the Royal Court to teach his form of martial art.  Yang style Tai Chi Chuan is the most popular form of Tai Chi Chuan practiced around the world.

The first Tai Chi Chuan master who promoted Tai Chi Chuan in the U.S. was a student of the Yang family named Cheng Man-Ching.  He too fought challenge matches and was renowned for his skill.

So we see that Tai Chi Chuan traditionally was promoted as a martial art. But time and perception have allowed it to evolve, or some would say devolve, into a parallel path where only relaxation and health are promoted.

For me personally, I am a martial artist and always will be.  And I will always study Tai Chi Chuan with a martial focus.  But I have to acknowledge that ninety percent of the people who take a class with me are only interested in Tai Chi Chuan for relaxation, concentration and meditation.

So in conclusion, I respect the reasons why someone is learning Tai Chi Chuan.  There is room for everyone to learn Tai Chi Chuan in the way they need for themselves.  For me as a teacher it all comes from the same foundation - maintaining the principles of the art, good body mechanics, form and structure.  We should not look down on others because they have a different perspective from us or even the art’s founders.  We should embrace everyone who makes a sincere effort in learning the art and because they are a member of the community of Tai Chi Chuan practitioners.

Be well,

Dante

Welcome to Still Water Tai Chi Center !

Through Strength And Awareness We Achieve Peace And Clarity!
Thank you for visiting our website.
Come join us at Still Water Tai Chi Center.
We are located at 11226 Waples Mill Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030
Our phone number is 703.862.2192
Still Water Tai Chi Center is one of the few Tai Chi schools in the Northern Virginia area that teaches Tai Chi form, Tai Chi push hands, Tai Chi for self-defense and Tai Chi weapons.
The first class is always FREE so perspective students a chance to see if our school is right for them. Every school is different. Schools can vary greatly in the content of what is taught and the manner in which it is taught.
Our school focuses on guiding students to achieve their own goals for a fulfilling Tai Chi practice – whether that goal is meditative or martial. Hence we teach gentle Tai Chi which is just the Tai Chi form. And we teach traditional Tai Chi as a martial curriculum.
The gentle Tai Chi requires the same dedication as the martial Tai Chi, because it focuses on sound body mechanics, mental focus, body awareness and unified body structure. It simply does not stress the combative intent. Tai Chi students who have self defense and martial goals are provided separate training.
At Still Water Tai Chi Center Tai Chi Center we teach Traditional Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan. We teach the Cheng Man-Ching form which is also referred to sometimes as the Yang short form.